The Impact of Terrorism on in-Group and Out-Group Perceptions and Relations.

Introduction“One could argue that it never has been so important as it is now to understand people’s wiliness to sacrifice for a cause” (Ginges & Atran, 2011). The focus of this report is to examine the impact of terrorism on in-group and out-group perceptions and relations. This report aims to examine four experimental studies regarding different aspects of terrorism. Firstly, the four experimental papers will be discussed, through the lens of the rationale underlying each study, the methodology employed, the results and the limitations of each study. After which the ecological validity of the findings will be discussed and whether these results are reflective of real-life perceptions on terrorism. Summaries

Das, E., Bushman, B. J., Bezemer, M. D., Kerkhof, P., Vermeulen, I. E. (2009). How terrorism news reports increase prejudice against out-groups: A terror management account. This research tests and examines the influence and link between terrorism news and death related thoughts resulting in prejudice against out-group members. Participants in study 1 consisted of 100 white European volunteers (40 men, 60 women). None of the participants were Muslim. Participants were randomly divided and assigned to one of two groups, in a between-subjects factorial design. The second factor in this research was not manipulated, as it occurred naturally in the middle of the data collection – the murder of Theo van Gogh, a Dutch film maker, by an Islamic extremist. One group watched a 12 minute programme about terrorism committed by Israeli extremists on Dutch news; the other group watched a 12 minute video clip on the 2004 Olympic Games. Subsequently, participants undertook a word fragment task which was composed of 17 death- related terms. Following this, participants undertook a measure of prejudice attitudes towards Arabs (as cited in Bushman & Banacci, 2004). Study 2, consisted of 101 white European volunteers (39 men, 62 women). Firstly, participants completed a 10 item self-esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965). Participants were randomly assigned to read a newspaper article about terrorism or animal abuse. Similar, to study 1 participant’s completed a word fragment task as a measure of death-related thoughts. They then completed the implicit association test (IAT), which tests reaction times to target words, here participants were asked to classify into categories as quickly as possible, European names (e.g. Maarten) versus Arab names (e.g. Akbar); and good words (e.g. love) versus bad word (e.g. war). Each test was made up of 25 trails, the difference in reaction time between the two tests was used to calculate and measure prejudice attitudes. Study 3 in contrast to studies 1 and 2 used participants who were non-Muslims and from a European background; participants in study three came from different religious backgrounds. This study was made up of 179 participants (81 men, 98 women). The procedure employed was similar to that of study 2. Results in study 1 indicated that news reports on terrorism increased death-related thoughts which in turn, influenced attitudes of prejudice towards Arabs, but only after Van Gogh’s death. Results from study 2 suggest that high self-esteem acts as a buffer against the effects of terrorism news reports. Terrorism news reports are more likely to increase prejudice for viewer who have low self-esteem. Results yielded in study 3 purport that news reports about terrorism increased prejudice against Arabs for non-Muslims and increased prejudice against Europeans for Muslim audiences. In looking at some limitations, this research did not directly examine the relationship between death-related thoughts and prejudice against Europeans from a Muslim background. For example, prejudice against Europeans might be a bi-product of anger or disappointment, rather than their fear of death or threat to their morality. Future research in this area would benefit by conducting an in-depth...

...CHAPTER 6: GroupsGroup is defined as any number of persons who share a consciousness of membership and interaction. A group is not a mere collection of individuals but an aggregate of personalities acting and interacting with one another in the process of living.
TYPES:
1. Primary Group - described by Charles Cooley as those characterized by intimate face-to-face association and cooperation.
2. Secondary Group - those which do not necessarily involve face-to-face association or intimate and personal relations.
CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Interaction - patterns of mutual influence (physical, verbal, non-verbal, emotional)
2. Structure - stable patterns of relationships
3. Goals - reasons for existence
4. Perceived Groupness - extend to which members see themselves as one (common fate, similarity, proximity)
5. Dynamic Interdependency - extend to which members are active, energized, vibrant and changing
6. Motivation - personal needs / gain being satisfied
CHAPTER 6: Leadership
A Leader is:
* Someone who acts as a guide;
* A directing head;
* Someone who leads a body of troops;
Leadership is:
* The position of a leader;
* The quality displayed by a leader;
* The act of leading
From a follower‟s perspective, good leadership can be attributed on several qualities that a person must have. These qualities make people...

...﻿
Group Process: Refection Paper III
Damaris M. Morel
NJCU
Group Process: Refection Paper III
“Being involved in the process of becoming self is a profound experience of personal choice” (Rogers, 1995, p.205); yet, according to Rogers therapeutic learning should not been teaches, rather it is an issue of personal choice. In the same token, for a group process session to be effective the members need to be genuine, open and willing to trust and express their issues and experiences. Perhaps, no one is perfect in this world, there is always something that bother us; yet if we are all stuck in the same boat of sharing to grow, then why so many members of our group still not sharing anything but taking away from the ones that does? In other words, why so many members are still placing a shield on their faces as not to engage into the therapeutic process of the session, what is there to lose?
It has been nine weeks since we had have embarked in this journey of risking and learning; and yet, many still reluctant to let themselves go to the next stage, they seems scare of being judge, of self-disclosing, of deepening their trust; worst of all, they seems scare of just being on their own skin. I completely understand that is no easy to sit in front of strangers and disclose our deepest though; on the same token, I understand that to...

...product. In the United States, insurers directly employ approximately 2.3 million people, or 1.7 percent of nonfarm payrolls. Separately, more than 2.3 million licensed insurance agents and brokers hold more than 6 million licenses.
The financial performance and condition of U.S. insurers continued to show recovery and improvement from the decline during the financial crisis. In 2012, the U.S. insurance industry reported record aggregate premium levels. Net written premiums in the United States were approximately $645 billion in the life and health (L/H) sector and approximately $460 billion in the property and casualty (P/C) sector.
Tables 1 and 2 provide a snapshot of the L/H sector marketplace, listing the largest ten L/H insurance groups by 2012 direct premiums written and the concentration in terms of premium volume for life insurance (i.e., non-A&H) and for A&H lines of business, respectively.
Exhibit1
Major Employee Relocation Services Companies
Relocation
Parent Organization
Estimated 1978 Home Purchase
Estimated Value of Home Purchase
Estimated Gross Fee Income
Merrill Lynch Relocation
Merrill Lynch
13,000
$975,000,000
$26,800,000
Homequity
Peterson, Howell, & Heather
12,000
900,000,000
24,750,000
Equitable Relocation
Equitable Life Insurance
5,000
375,000,000
10,300,000
Employee Transfer
Chicago Title and Trust
5,000
375,000,000
10,300,000
Relocation Realty Corporation
Control Data...

...customer to bring the prices was moderate like the subscribers were paying the prices fixed by the local businesses for their services it depend on local business about how much discount they are offering.
Post Groupon: After the Groupon entering the market the customer or the buyer power has increased gradually as now the customer can cancel the deal if they thinks that the deal is not appropriate as mentioned in the e-mailed deal. So after post Groupon the power of buyer is high to bring prices down.
4. Threat of Substitution
When the substitutes of the product, service or any business arises in the market then it makes more chances for the customers or buyer to switch it from one supplier of business to another.
Pre Groupon: Before the Group on there were no threats for any arrival of the substitute in the market.
Post Groupon: There are many substitutes for the Groupon in the market now and so there are more chances of the customer to switch it from Groupon to their substitutes. If any subscribers will search about the substitutes of Groupon there will be more than 10-20 websites like LivingSocial.com, Yipit.com, Woot.com, and Bloomspot.com etc.
Reference: http://www.businessinsider.com/groupon-alternatives-2011-9?op=1
5. Potential of new entrants into the market.
Potential and profitable market is always attractive for the new entrants to the market unless there are some huge barriers to enter the market.
Pre Groupon: There were buying sites before...

...responsibility
Clever (intelligent)
Conceptually skilled
Creative
Diplomatic and tactful
Fluent in speaking
Knowledgeable about group task
Organised (administrative ability)
Persuasive
Socially skilled
McCall and Lombardo (1983) researched both success and failure identified four primary traits by which leaders could succeed or 'derail':
Emotional stability and composure: Calm, confident and predictable, particularly when under stress.
Admitting error: Owning up to mistakes, rather than putting energy into covering up.
Good interpersonal skills: Able to communicate and persuade others without resort to negative or coercive tactics.
Intellectual breadth: Able to understand a wide range of areas, rather than having a narrow (and narrow-minded) area of expertise.
Stogdill, R.M. (1974). Handbook of leadership: A survey of the literature, New York: Free Press
McCall, M.W. Jr. and Lombardo, M.M. (1983). Off the track: Why and how successful executives get derailed. Greenboro, NC: Centre for Creative Leadership
The Managerial Grid , Blake and Mouton (1960)
Concern for People
High
Country Club management
Team management
Medium
Middle of the road management
Low
Impoverished management
Authority-compliance
Low
Medium
High
Concern for Production (Task)
Blake, R.R. and Mouton, J.S. (1961). Group dynamics - Key to decision making, Houston: Gulf Publishing Co
Likert leadership styles- LIKERT(...

...There are four major terrorist groups active in the Philippines today: The Moro National Liberation Front, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf and the New People's Army. The first three are Islamic groups that operate primarily in the south of the nation, where most of the country's Muslim minority live. The Communist New People's Army operates in the northern Philippines.
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
Emerging in the early 1970s, the MNLF sought an independent Islamic nation in the Filipino islands with sizeable Muslim populations. In 1996, the MNLF signed a peace agreement with Manila that created the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), an area composed of two mainland provinces and three island provinces in which the predominantly Muslim population enjoys a degree of self-rule. MNLF chairman and founder Nur Misuari was installed as the region's governor but his rule ended in violence when he led a failed uprising against the Philippines government in November 2001. He is currently in jail and MNLF leader Parouk Hussin took over as ARMM governor in 2002. Nur Misuari reportedly still has a small band of followers who remain actively opposed to the current arrangement.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
The largest Islamic extremist group in the Philippines, the MILF split from the MNLF in 1977 and continues to wage war against Manila. Headed by Islamic cleric Salamat Hashim, the MILF seeks a...

...Personal Perception of Organized Crime Paper
The United States is run by a democratic government that has laws in place to ensure order and organization. However, there are certain people and groups that wish to compromise and profit personally from breaking these laws. According to Understanding Organized Crime (2007), organized crime can be defined by the members and the activities of a group. There are many crimes in which organized crime might be involved, but what separates individual crime from crimes committed by groups of people is the term organized or organization. Organization has been described as a group of people who cooperate to accomplish objectives or goals. Organized crime has been around for centuries; from Outlaw gangs in the western days that robbed stage coaches, the pony express, and passengers of trains to today’s Blood and Crip gangs that dominate public streets for power over territories and drug sales. Gangs have been around for a long time imposing on the lives and liberties of law abiding citizens that wish to obey laws. Law abiding citizens have to live in imminent fear that their lives are not disrupted by the actions of these criminal organizations that wish to indulge in crime. In this paper, we will explore the various definitions, perception, characteristics of organized crime, and explore some high profile groups that indulge in different...